This year, the NBA All-Star Game will undergo a major transformation in an effort to reignite excitement around All-Star Weekend. The game will feature a new tournament-style format, with four teams composed of eight players each, breaking away from the traditional East vs. West setup or the recent captain-based drafting system.
While many are eager to see how this innovative approach plays out, not everyone is impressed. Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant shared his blunt opinion about the format during a media interaction this week.
“I hate it. I absolutely hate it. Really terrible. All-Star game format is changing; other formats have been terrible in my opinion. We should just go back to East-West. I think we should just keep it traditional,” Durant said.
Kevin Durant says he hates the new NBA All-Star format
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) December 17, 2024
“I hate it. Absolutely hate it. Terrible….We should just go back to East-West.” 😳
(🎥 @GeraldBourguet )
pic.twitter.com/qrFQYq3OHq
“But we’ll see how this will work. You never know; I might be wrong. I’m just another guy with another opinion, but we’ll see how it works,” he added.
Kevin Durant’s Take Ignites Debate On Social Media
The NBA All-Star game has undergone several changes over the years, including the addition of the player draft and the Elam Ending scoring system. These adjustments were designed to increase competitiveness and engage fans. But many NBA players, including Kevin Durant, are not on board to accept the changing rules wholeheartedly.
Despite Durant’s opinion, many fans disagree with his stance. From their perspective, the East-West format doesn’t necessarily improve viewership or competitiveness. Fans argue that the Western Conference, stacked with more powerful teams and star players, often overshadowed the East, leading to an imbalance in competition.
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral NBA stories via Google! Follow Us
West would win every time easily also
— 𝟐𝟑 👑 (@BronWorld) December 17, 2024
Bro east and west won’t be fair lmfao the west is so stacked
— STEPHENSTURDY (@StephenSturdy30) December 17, 2024
Some fans went a step further, mocking Durant and other players for not taking the All-Star game seriously. They believe this lack of effort from players is a significant factor behind the game’s declining popularity.
Mans forgot they did East vs West last year and it was the worst game of all time. Format isn’t the problem, effort is….
— Scrilla TMU (@iamscrilla) December 17, 2024
Unless you guys take this game seriously, no format is good. NBA added incentives, so I hope players will put some effort this year
— Kanna (@Kannadasa) December 17, 2024
if the players gave some effort they wouldn’t have to try new things like this 🤷🏻♂️
— sushi pizza 👾 (@sushixpizza) December 17, 2024
While the NBA continues to experiment with new ideas to boost viewership and excitement, the question arises whether these changes will reignite interest of players.
Also Read: Former 3x NBA All-Star Blames The Coaches For Teams Attempting “Too Many” Three-Point Shots
